I use a lighting tripod that's capable of going up very high (upwards of 18'). You have to make your own mounting mechanism/rigging, but that's not too hard. Then, a good lead acid batter w/ a power inverter that gives you an A/C outlet. Sparco makes a nice all-in-one PoE and battery unit that is convenient.

Thanks for the feedback. I also had to make mine. A pole (telescoping 3 section to 17') fitted into a folding tripod, a battery from terrawave and a top I made from plastic for different AP's and antennas.

I have a small bag that attaches to the pole to carry a measuring wheel, camera, clipboard, colored pens, ect... All I have to carry is the pole in one hand and laptop in the other.

I've looked around and the poles I see look flimsy and expensive for what you get so I was curious as to the opinions of those that have bought them or if they have a different way of surveying altogether??

I couldn't tell if that went higher, but if so disregard. Height can make a big difference. You want to at least cover 10' ceilings. You also want to get the antennas away from ther vertical pole especially if it's metal; metal can detune the antenna and void your survey data. I'd extend the antenna out at least a foot or more from the vertical pole (if metal).

I just did a quick web search for a light stand and found an example. ...I don't know this retailer from Adam, but just using it for an example.

The terrawave battery is good for POE devices. I have run a Cisco 1242 for 10 hours and not had an issue. I used to use lawn mower batteries that I would pick up at the local home depot when I got on site and use a power inverter, but that is a real pain. I am interested to see what others are doing as well for long time survey batteries.

The pole extends to 17 feet and I agree with the antenna being away from the pole. That was the thought of the top platform being made of plastic so I can see your point about the pole. (I might do some test with and without the pole to see the affect it has.)

I also agree with Needle about the Terrawave battery. I've gotten at least 10 hours or more also powering a Cisco 1242. (loved those boom lift pix and the weppy award certificate)

I just purchased a survey kit from Terrawave and a boom from CasterTray (www.castertray.com). The boom extends to 12', which in my case works for most situations. It is kind of expensive at $1200 but it is a sturdy platform. One of the nice things about the Caster Tray is that it comes with a Pelican Case so that shipping it is much easier and you can lock it up so that things don't walk on you.

We used to use the MAXX29 deep cycle marine battery from Wal-Mart, but standard lead-acid batteries leak - and as mobile as we are, it's too easy to topple one over. We quickly moved to AGM (Absorbed Glass Mat) example type paired with a 750W inverter. Not a lightweight setup, but more than adequate juice for nearly anything and for a very long time.